Minecraft server guides
33 step-by-step guides for setting up, tuning and fixing a Minecraft server. Each one is dated, credited and checked against the software version it names.
Written by Mihail Griniuc
How we write our guides
By server software
All guides by topic
Start playing
From zero to playing with friends tonight.
- How to Make a Minecraft Server Create a Minecraft server you and your friends can play on in about five minutes: an account, a server, the right version, and the address to share. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Make a Minecraft Server for Free Run a Minecraft server at no cost, and know exactly what "free" means here: what you get, what the advertising pays for, and the limits that come with it. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Make a Minecraft Server With Friends Set up a private server for a group: a whitelist, operator roles, shared rules and the backup schedule that protects the world you all play in. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Self-Host a Minecraft Server Run the server on your own machine: install Java, accept the EULA, start the JAR, and understand the four things a home server owes you before friends can join. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Port Forward a Minecraft Server Open port 25565 on a home network so friends can join: forward the router port, allow the server through the firewall, and confirm it from outside. Updated 2026-10-15
Server software
Choose, configure, and tune the software your world runs on.
- How to Install Paper on a Minecraft Server Switch a Minecraft server to Paper: download the right build, swap the JAR, keep the world, and confirm with /version that you are running Paper. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Install Purpur on a Minecraft Server Run Purpur, the Paper fork with optional gameplay features: download the build for your Minecraft version, swap the JAR, and configure purpur.yml. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Configure a Paper Server Know what each Paper config file controls: paper-global.yml, paper-world-defaults.yml, per-world overrides, spigot.yml and when to restart. Updated 2026-10-15
- Best Paper Settings for a Small Server Concrete Paper values for a 3 to 6 GB server: entity limits, chunk loading, hopper rates, collisions and view distance, with what each setting costs you. Updated 2026-10-15
- Paper vs Spigot: Which Should You Run? Paper and Spigot share the Bukkit plugin API and the same world files. Paper is a fork with far more tick work done, so run Paper on almost every server. Updated 2026-10-15
- Paper vs Purpur: Which Server Software Fits? Purpur is a fork of Paper with optional gameplay features in its own config file. Pick Paper for strict vanilla mechanics, Purpur for rideable mobs and extras. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Optimize a Paper Server Get more out of a small Paper server: start from the flags, trim the tick work in the config, pre-generate the map, and measure every change with spark. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Configure a Vanilla Minecraft Server Every vanilla server setting that matters, in the order it matters: server.properties first, then the world and permissions files Mojang writes next to it. Updated 2026-10-15
- Vanilla vs Paper: What Do You Give Up? Vanilla and Paper run the same game from the same world files. Paper adds tick performance, a config layer and plugins; vanilla keeps Mojang's code. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Run a Minecraft Server with systemd Run a self-hosted server as a service that restarts on crash, sends a clean shutdown, and starts on boot: a systemd unit with safe stop, watchdog and logging. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Change Your Minecraft Server Version Move a server to a new Minecraft version and back: how upgrades change the world, what breaks, and why downgrades usually need a backup rather than a setting. Updated 2026-10-15
Plugins and worlds
Extend your server with plugins, and bring your own worlds.
- How to Install Minecraft Plugins Install a plugin on Paper or Purpur: read the /plugins colours, then fix the three failures behind most broken ones, from wrong version to missing dependency. Updated 2026-10-15
- Best Paper Plugins for a Small Server A short list of Paper plugins worth installing on a small server, what each one replaces, and how to judge a plugin before it takes a slot. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Upload a Minecraft World Move an existing world onto a server: zip the world folder, stop the server, upload it in place, and check level-name matches or it builds an empty one. Updated 2026-10-15
Manage players
Admins, guest lists, and fair moderation.
- How to Add Operators to a Minecraft Server Give someone operator rights safely: what the command actually grants, how permission level 4 differs from level 3, and how to take it back when it goes wrong. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Whitelist a Minecraft Server Keep a Minecraft server private with a whitelist: turn it on, add players by name, and understand why a whitelisted player can still be refused. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Ban Players on a Minecraft Server Ban, mute, kick and IP-ban a Minecraft player: which command fits the problem, how bans are stored, and why a name ban does not stop the same person. Updated 2026-10-15
Protect worlds
Backups today prevent tragedies tomorrow.
- How to Back Up a Minecraft Server Back up a Minecraft server so a restore is possible: what a usable backup contains, a schedule worth having, and the check that proves it works. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Restore a Minecraft Server Backup Put a Minecraft world back after griefing, corruption or a bad plugin: stop the server, swap the world folder, point level-name at it, confirm it loaded. Updated 2026-10-15
Fix problems
Lag, crashes, errors, and log reading.
- How to Allocate More RAM to a Minecraft Server Give a Minecraft server more memory: work out how much it needs, set -Xms and -Xmx below your total RAM, and tell whether memory is the actual bottleneck. Updated 2026-10-15
- Best JVM Flags for a Minecraft Server Which JVM flags matter for a Minecraft server: the G1 set Paper publishes, how to size the heap against your RAM, and the GC logging that proves it. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Reduce Minecraft Server Lag Fix block lag and rubber-banding by measuring it first: check TPS and MSPT, trim view distance, cap entities and hoppers, then confirm each change worked. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Fix Lag on a Paper Server Diagnose Paper lag in order: confirm the server brand, read the spark profile, apply the config and plugin fixes, and spot when lag is not the server. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Fix Lag on a Vanilla Server Fix vanilla server lag with the tools vanilla actually ships: check TPS, read the debug and timing reports, and trim the three settings that multiply tick work. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Fix Minecraft Server Crashes Work out why a Minecraft server crashed, then fix it: read the crash report, tell Java errors from watchdog kills, and isolate plugins, memory or world causes. Updated 2026-10-15
- Fix Out of Memory Errors on Minecraft Servers Stop java.lang.OutOfMemoryError crashes: size the JVM heap to your RAM, find the leak with GC logs, and cap the plugins and chunks holding memory. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Fix Minecraft Connection Refused Get past "connection refused" and "can't connect" by checking in order: server state, address, matching versions, access lists, then the network and firewall. Updated 2026-10-15
- How to Read Minecraft Server Logs Read a Minecraft server log line by line: what each field means, which levels to act on, six recurring error patterns, and what to send when asking for help. Updated 2026-10-15
More references
- Knowledge base TPS, permissions, ports and plugin APIs explained, for when you need the concept rather than the steps.
- Calculators Size memory and CPU before you change anything.